Alex Yoong will return to action for Minardi at the next round of the world championship in Italy. However, he will not be racing for the team next season, team owner Paul Stoddart has confirmed.

"Alex will be involved with us next year," said Stoddart. "He won't be racing but he will be involved with the team next year. He could be test driving."

The Malaysian has sat out the last two races while 23-year-old British BAR test driver Anthony Davidson made his Formula One™ racing debut.

But he will return in two weeks time at Monza, looking to complete the final three races of the season in style, after failing to qualify three times this season: at Silverstone, San Marino and Germany.

To give him the best possible preparation Minardi are set to run four dummy qualifying sessions ahead of the Monza weekend in order to gear him up for the crucial hour on Saturday that decides the grid.

"We removed the power steering at Silverstone for various reasons so that was not Alex's fault at all," explained Stoddart. "But the other DNQs have yet to be satisfactorily explained, so we have to think they are down to Alex."

Some in the team believe his confidence may have taken a knock at San Marino with the first of his DNQs. "Hopefully the testing sessions will help sort him out," added Stoddart. "I am confident there will be no more repeats."

But with so many drivers waiting in the wings, team sources have hinted that one more DNQ could rule Yoong out of any other races this season.